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Author Tschulkow, M.; Compernolle, T.; Van den Bosch, S.; Van Aelst, J.; Storms, I.; Van Dael, M.; Van den Bossche, G.; Sels, B.; Van Passel, S.
Title Integrated techno-economic assessment of a biorefinery process: The high-end valorization of the lignocellulosic fraction in wood streams Type A1 Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication Journal Of Cleaner Production Abbreviated Journal J Clean Prod
Volume 266 Issue Pages 122022
Keywords (down) A1 Journal Article; Engineering Management (ENM) ;
Abstract A new lignin-first biorefinery with a reductive catalytic fractionation process, which targets the valorization of the lignin and the carbohydrate fraction into higher value end-products, is currently being designed. To identify the various R&D drivers for projects with a low technology readiness level (TRL), we developed an integrated techno-economic assessment (TEA) that directly integrates the results of lab studies with economic costs and benefits. Furthermore, different linkages are made to upstream wood availability and downstream demand to understand its fit into existing wood value chains. By making the relations across the wood value chain explicit within the integrated TEA, we find that the scale of the plant, the feedstock-specific output quantities, and output prices highly determine the economic feasibility. Furthermore, this detailed analysis reveals the importance of assessing different types of feedstock. If only virgin wood is available as feedstock, minimum capacity levels between 190 and 234 kilotons per year are needed for the investment to be profitable. Waste wood proves to be the most profitable feedstock with an NPV of M€ 59 and an IRR of 26%. Using only waste wood as feedstock makes the investment profitable at a lower capacity level of 80 kilotons per year and economic shocks can be absorbed. Based on these results we show that an integrated and detailed TEA is indispensable to define future development paths for early-stage, innovative technologies.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000573461000008 Publication Date 2020-05-07
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0959-6526 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 11.1 Times cited Open Access
Notes This project has received funding from the Research FoundationFlanders (FWO)-SBO BIOWOOD project. Tine Compernolle thanksthe (FWO) for funding her postdoctoral mandate with Grantnumber 12M7417N. G. V.d.B. acknowledges funding from FISCH-ICON project MAIA. J.V.A. and S.V.d.B acknowledge Flanders Inno-vation&Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) for their innovation mandate. Approved Most recent IF: 11.1; 2020 IF: 5.715
Call Number ENM @ enm @c:irua:170069 Serial 6383
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Author Van Oijstaeijen, W.; Van Passel, S.; Cools, J.
Title Urban green infrastructure: A review on valuation toolkits from an urban planning perspective Type A1 Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication Journal Of Environmental Management Abbreviated Journal J Environ Manage
Volume 267 Issue Pages 110603
Keywords (down) A1 Journal Article; Engineering Management (ENM) ;
Abstract As a response to increasing urbanization and changing weather and climatic patterns, urban green infrastructure (UGI) emerged as a concept to increase resilience within the urban boundaries. Given that implementing these (semi-) natural solutions in practice requires a clear overview of the costs and benefits, valuation becomes ever important. A range of decision-support tools for green infrastructure and ecosystem services exist, developed for various purposes. This paper reviews the potential of 10 shortlisted and existing valuation tools to support investment decisions of urban green infrastructure. In the assessment, the functionality is regarded specifically from the urban planning and decision-making viewpoint. The toolkits were evaluated on 12 different criteria. After analyzing the toolkits on these criteria, the findings are evaluated on the (mis)match with specific requirements in the urban planning and management context. Secondly, recommendations and guidelines are formulated to support the design of simple valuation tools, tailored to support the development of green infrastructure in urban areas. Approaching the valuation toolkits biophysically and (socio-)economically provides an integral overview of the challenges and opportunities of the capacities of each framework. It was found that most tools are not designed for the peculiarities of the urban context. Several elements contribute to the hampering uptake of GI valuation tools. Firstly, the limited effort in the economic case for green infrastructure remains a burden to use toolkits to compare grey and green alternatives. Secondly, tools are currently seldom designed for the peculiarities of cities: urban ecosystem (dis)services, multi-scalability, life-span assessments of co-benefits and the importance of social benefits. Thirdly, toolkits should be the result of co-development between the scientific community and local authorities in order to create toolkits that are tailor made to the specific needs in the urban planning process. It can be concluded that current tools, are not readily applicable to support decision making as such. However, if applied cautiously, they can have an indicative role to pinpoint further targeted and in-depth analyses.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000533525100040 Publication Date 2020-04-27
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0301-4797 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 8.7 Times cited Open Access
Notes Nature Smart Cities across the 2 Seas is an Interreg 2 Seas co-funded project to the value of €6,380,472. It consists of a total of 11 Partners from 4 EU Member States, who will work together to develop a business model that local authorities can use to justify the use of ‘city finance’ to fund their urban greening programmes. This project has received funding from the Interreg 2 Seas programme 2014-2020 co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund under subsidy contract No 2S05-048. Approved Most recent IF: 8.7; 2020 IF: 4.01
Call Number ENM @ enm @c:irua:169448 Serial 6384
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Author Larrain, M.; Van Passel, S.; Thomassen, G.; Kresovic, U.; Alderweireldt, N.; Moerman, E.; Billen, P.
Title Economic performance of pyrolysis of mixed plastic waste: Open-loop versus closed-loop recycling Type A1 Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication Journal Of Cleaner Production Abbreviated Journal J Clean Prod
Volume Issue Pages 122442
Keywords (down) A1 Journal Article; Engineering Management (ENM) ;
Abstract In recent decades new recycling technologies for mixed plastic waste have emerged. In pyrolysis, the polymer chains are thermally broken (pyrolyzed) to obtain hydrocarbon materials of different molecular weights such as naphtha, oil or waxes, whose yields can be controlled by varying the reaction parameters. Naphtha represents a closed-loop recycling process as it is a feedstock for (poly)olefins; while the co-production of waxes, having several applications in e.g. the construction industry, exemplifies an open-loop recycling process. This paper compares the economic performance of the pyrolysis of mixed polyolefin waste in a closed-loop and open-loop scheme, including a probabilistic approach to the most important variables. From an economic perspective, open-loop pyrolysis as presented outperforms closed-loop recycling, due to the high prices of wax. However, the results present a high dispersion caused by the volatility of the prices of crude oil and its derivates. Considering the current oil price projections, our case study analysis showed that for open-loop recycling there is a future probability of almost a 98 % of observing positive results and around 57 % of probability in the case of closed-loop recycling, under the assumptions made. Yet, in a future scenario where decarbonized electricity would decrease oil prices, the probability of a positive outcome reduces to 57 % for the open-loop case and to less than 8 % in the case of closed-loop recycling. To make these pathways attractive to investors, the nameplate capacity should be at least 70 kt/year for open-loop recycling and 115 kt/year for closed-loop recycling. A 120 kt/year plant should operate minimally at 80 % of its capacity for open-loop recycling, while closed-loop recycling would demand running close to maximum capacity. Security of feedstock supply therefore is required.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000579071300078 Publication Date 2020-05-28
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0959-6526 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 11.1 Times cited Open Access
Notes This work was supported by the VLAIO Catalisti-ICON project MATTER (Mechanical and Thermochemical Recycling of mixed plastic waste; project HBC.2018.0262). Approved Most recent IF: 11.1; 2020 IF: 5.715
Call Number ENM @ enm @c:irua:170005 Serial 6385
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Author Larrain, M.; Van Passel, S.; Thomassen, G.; Kresovic, U.; Alderweireldt, N.; Moerman, E.; Billen, P.
Title Economic performance of pyrolysis of mixed plastic waste: Open-loop versus closed-loop recycling Type A1 Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication Journal Of Cleaner Production Abbreviated Journal J Clean Prod
Volume Issue Pages 122442
Keywords (down) A1 Journal Article; Engineering Management (ENM) ;
Abstract In recent decades new recycling technologies for mixed plastic waste have emerged. In pyrolysis, the polymer chains are thermally broken (pyrolyzed) to obtain hydrocarbon materials of different molecular weights such as naphtha, oil or waxes, whose yields can be controlled by varying the reaction parameters. Naphtha represents a closed-loop recycling process as it is a feedstock for (poly)olefins; while the co-production of waxes, having several applications in e.g. the construction industry, exemplifies an open-loop recycling process. This paper compares the economic performance of the pyrolysis of mixed polyolefin waste in a closed-loop and open-loop scheme, including a probabilistic approach to the most important variables. From an economic perspective, open-loop pyrolysis as presented outperforms closed-loop recycling, due to the high prices of wax. However, the results present a high dispersion caused by the volatility of the prices of crude oil and its derivates. Considering the current oil price projections, our case study analysis showed that for open-loop recycling there is a future probability of almost a 98 % of observing positive results and around 57 % of probability in the case of closed-loop recycling, under the assumptions made. Yet, in a future scenario where decarbonized electricity would decrease oil prices, the probability of a positive outcome reduces to 57 % for the open-loop case and to less than 8 % in the case of closed-loop recycling. To make these pathways attractive to investors, the nameplate capacity should be at least 70 kt/year for open-loop recycling and 115 kt/year for closed-loop recycling. A 120 kt/year plant should operate minimally at 80 % of its capacity for open-loop recycling, while closed-loop recycling would demand running close to maximum capacity. Security of feedstock supply therefore is required.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000579071300078 Publication Date 2020-05-28
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0959-6526 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 11.1 Times cited Open Access
Notes This work was supported by the VLAIO Catalisti-ICON project MATTER (Mechanical and Thermochemical Recycling of mixed plastic waste; project HBC.2018.0262). Approved Most recent IF: 11.1; 2020 IF: 5.715
Call Number ENM @ enm @c:irua:170005 Serial 6386
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Author Kleinhans, K.; Hallemans, M.; Huysveld, S.; Thomassen, G.; Ragaert, K.; Van Geem, K.M.; Roosen, M.; Mys, N.; Dewulf, J.; De Meester, S.
Title Development and application of a predictive modelling approach for household packaging waste flows in sorting facilities Type A1 Journal Article
Year 2021 Publication Waste Management Abbreviated Journal Waste Management
Volume 120 Issue Pages 290-302
Keywords (down) A1 Journal Article; Engineering Management (ENM) ;
Abstract Household packaging waste sorting facilities consist of complex networks of processes to separate diverse waste streams. These facilities are a key first step to re-enter materials into the recycling chain. However, so far there are no general methods to predict the performance of such sorting facilities, i.e.

how efficiently the heterogeneous packaging waste is sorted into fractions with value for further recycling. In this paper, a model of the material flow in a sorting facility is presented, which allows changing the incoming waste composition, split factors on the sorting units as well as the setup of the sorting facility. The performance of the sorting facility is judged based on the purity of the output material (grade) and the recovery of the input material. A validation of the model was performed via a case study on Belgian post-consumer packaging waste with a selection of typical waste items that can be found in this stream. Moreover, the model was used to predict the possible sorting qualities of future Belgian postconsumer packaging waste after an extension of the allowed waste packaging items in the waste stream. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was performed on the split factors, which are a key data source in the model. Overall, the developed model is flexible and able to predict the performance of packaging waste sorting facilities as well as support waste management and design for recycling decisions, including future

design of packaging, to ensure proper sorting and separation.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 2020-12-16
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0956053X ISBN Additional Links
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes We would like to thank Indaver (https://www.indaver.com/been/home/), especially Erik Huybrechts, Eric Goddaert, Eline Meyvis and Erik Moerman, for their great support on this research. Furthermore, we would like to acknowledge the help of Colruyt (https://www.colruyt.be/) and CEFLEX (https://ceflex.eu/) for the pre-studies for this research. Moreover, we would like to show our appreciation for the financial support by the Catalisti-ICON project (HBC.2018.0262) MATTER (Mechanical and Thermochemical Recycling of mixed plastic waste) funded by Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO). We also thank the Interreg 2 Seas program PlastiCity that is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund under subsidy contract No. 2S05-021 and the province of East-Flanders for funding this research. Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number ENM @ enm @ Serial 6667
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Author Buchmayr, A.; Verhofstadt, E.; Van Ootegem, L.; Sanjuan Delmás, D.; Thomassen, G.; Dewulf, J.
Title The path to sustainable energy supply systems: Proposal of an integrative sustainability assessment framework Type A1 Journal Article
Year 2021 Publication Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews Abbreviated Journal Renew Sust Energ Rev
Volume 138 Issue Pages 110666
Keywords (down) A1 Journal Article; Engineering Management (ENM) ;
Abstract Energy supply is essential for the functioning and well-being of a society. Decision-makers are faced with the challenge to balance burdens and benefits of energy supply practices with the aim to achieve environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Literature exhibits a broad variety of sustainability assessment frameworks for energy supply technologies. However, there is no consensus on which aspects need to be covered for a comprehensive assessment of sustainability. While some aspects, such as environmental emission damage, receive predominant attention, there is a lack of coverage and adequate quantification for others. This led in the past to an unbalanced basis for decision-making.

Based on an analysis of literature, 12 impact categories were identified for the assessment of energy technologies. The analysis included the judgement of quantification approaches regarding their significance for describing the impact categories and their maturity resulting in the proposal of 12 concrete indicators. A framework is proposed to manage and integrate the assessment of single impact categories. The framework produces normalized and weighted output indicators to use in the form of a dashboard or alternatively a single sustainability index for informed decision-making.

Finally, the proposed sustainability assessment framework relies on life cycle, local impact, and supply chain risks assessment. It consists of both well-established assessment methods as well as suggestions for new indicators in order to allow a full assessment of all impact categories. It thereby goes beyond the isolated assessment of impacts and offers the basis for comparison of complete energy supply mixes.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 2020-12-24
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1364-0321 ISBN Additional Links
Impact Factor 8.05 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes The authors acknowledge the financial support received from the Special Research Fund (Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds – BOF) of Ghent University under grant agreement number BOF.24Y.2018.003. Approved Most recent IF: 8.05
Call Number ENM @ enm @ Serial 6680
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Author Thomassen, G.; Huysveld, S.; Boone, L.; Vilain, C.; Geysen, D.; Huysman, K.; Cools, B.; Dewulf, J.
Title The environmental impact of household's water use: A case study in Flanders assessing various water sources, production methods and consumption patterns Type A1 Journal Article
Year 2021 Publication Science Of The Total Environment Abbreviated Journal Sci Total Environ
Volume 770 Issue Pages 145398
Keywords (down) A1 Journal Article; Engineering Management (ENM) ;
Abstract Responsible water use and sustainable consumption and production are high on the agenda of multiple stakeholders. Different water supply sources are available, including tap water, bottled water, domestically harvested rainwater and domestically abstracted groundwater. The extent to which each of these water supply sources is used, differs over consumption patterns in various housing types, being detached houses, semi-detached houses, terraced houses and apartments. To identify the environmental impact of a household's water use and potential environmental impact reduction strategies, a holistic assessment is required. In this paper, the environmental impact of a household's water use in Flanders (Belgium) was assessed including four different water supply sources and four different consumption patterns by means of a life cycle assessment. The outcomes of this study reveal a large difference between the environmental impact of bottled water use, having a global warming impact of 259 kg CO2-eq.·m−3, compared to the other three supply sources. Tap water supply had the lowest global warming impact (0.17 kg CO2-eq.·m−3) and resource footprint (6.51 MJex·m−3) of all water supply sources. The most efficient strategy to reduce the environmental impact of household's water use is to shift the water consumption from bottled to tap water consumption. This would induce a reduction in global warming impact of the water use of an inhabitant in Flanders by on average 80%, saving 0.1 kg CO2-eq.·day−1 in case of groundwater-based tap water. These results provide insights into sustainable water use for multiple consumption patterns and can be used to better frame the environmental benefits of tap water use.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 2021-01-27
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0048-9697 ISBN Additional Links
Impact Factor 4.9 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. Approved Most recent IF: 4.9
Call Number ENM @ enm @ Serial 6681
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Author De Weerdt, L.; De Jaeger, S.; Compernolle, T.; Van Passel, S.
Title How an incineration tax changes waste management practices among firms Type A1 Journal Article
Year 2022 Publication Resources Conservation And Recycling Abbreviated Journal Resour Conserv Recy
Volume 180 Issue Pages 106172
Keywords (down) A1 Journal Article; Engineering Management (ENM) ;
Abstract Sustainable management of industrial plastic waste is crucial in the transition to a circular economy. Today, most industrial plastic waste is incinerated, whereas it could be recycled. As a consequence, governments increasingly make use of incineration taxes to improve current waste management practices. This paper presents an econometric panel analysis that studies the effects of an incineration tax on industrial plastic waste in Flanders (Belgium). Not only is this study the first econometric analysis on industrial plastic waste management in which firm heterogeneity is explicitly taken into account by including firm-specific characteristics, but this study also provides policymakers with insights into the effectiveness of an incineration tax to change current waste management practices. Empirical estimates imply that heterogeneous firms generate industrial plastic waste in different ways and that heterogeneous firms reduce their waste generation in different ways after the incineration tax rate increases. The estimates also show that the unique decrease of the incineration tax in 2007, did not change waste management practices. These estimates show that firms do not disinvest or indicate that loss aversion theory, i.e. a preference for avoiding losses over acquiring equivalent gains, might apply to firms that are faced with environmental taxation in a waste management context.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 2022-01-19
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0921-3449 ISBN Additional Links
Impact Factor 13.2 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 13.2
Call Number ENM @ enm @ Serial 7256
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Author Zarafshani, K.; Sharafi, L.; Azadi, H.; Van Passel, S.
Title Vulnerability assessment models to drought : toward a conceptual framework Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Sustainability Abbreviated Journal Sustainability-Basel
Volume 8 Issue 6 Pages 1-21
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract Drought is regarded as a slow-onset natural disaster that causes inevitable damage to water resources and to farm life. Currently, crisis management is the basis of drought mitigation plans, however, thus far studies indicate that effective drought management strategies are based on risk management. As a primary tool in mitigating the impact of drought, vulnerability assessment can be used as a benchmark in drought mitigation plans and to enhance farmers ability to cope with drought. Moreover, literature pertaining to drought has focused extensively on its impact, only awarding limited attention to vulnerability assessment as a tool. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework for designing a vulnerability model in order to assess farmers level of vulnerability before, during and after the onset of drought. Use of this developed drought vulnerability model would aid disaster relief workers by enhancing the adaptive capacity of farmers when facing the impacts of drought. The paper starts with the definition of vulnerability and outlines different frameworks on vulnerability developed thus far. It then identifies various approaches of vulnerability assessment and finally offers the most appropriate model. The paper concludes that the introduced model can guide drought mitigation programs in countries that are impacted the most by drought.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000378776800084 Publication Date 2016-06-23
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2071-1050 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 1.789 Times cited 15 Open Access
Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 1.789
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:134331 Serial 6278
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Author Jeanloz, S.; Lizin, S.; Beenaerts, N.; Brouwer, R.; Van Passel, S.; Witters, N.
Title Towards a more structured selection process for attributes and levels in choice experiments : a study in a Belgian protected area Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Ecosystem Services Abbreviated Journal Ecosyst Serv
Volume 18 Issue Pages 45-57
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract The process of selecting attributes for inclusion in choice experiments frequently involves qualitative methods such as focus groups and interviews. In order for a choice experiment to be successful and the results to be valid, this qualitative selection process is essential. It often lacks rigour and is poorly described, particularly in environmental choice experiments. We propose a meticulous attribute and attribute-level selection process consisting of a scoring exercise and an interactive discussion. This paper provides a case study describing how attributes and attribute-levels were identified and selected for the National Park Hoge Kempen in Belgium. We carried out four focus groups and thirteen semi-structured interviews with various park stakeholders to select attributes from six categories: the four categories of ecosystem services (supporting, provisioning, regulating, cultural), infrastructure, and land use types. The top-ranked characteristics were nature conservation, natural forests, biodiversity refuge, wetlands, landscape variety, heathlands, air purification, and education. Both the scoring exercise and the interactive discussion contributed to the attributes selected for the CE. Following these, an ultimate expert consultation stage is recommended to approve both the attribute and attribute-level selection. The semi-qualitative protocol proposed in this paper can help practitioners and demonstrates how the results guide choice experiment design.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000375213800004 Publication Date 2016-02-17
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2212-0416 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.072 Times cited 10 Open Access
Notes ; We would like to thank study informants, focus group participants and interviewees, as well as Tom Kuppens, Silvie Daniels, Janka Vanschoenwinkel and Michele Moretti of the Environmental Economics Research group of Hasselt University. Johan Van den Bosch, project leader at Regional Landschap Kempen en Maasland (RLKM), and Rolinde Demeyer from the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO) have provided this study with valuable assistance and comments. Sarah Jeanloz was funded by the INTERREG IVB NEW program (Grant no. D1941/ 56200), Nele Witters (Grant no. 12B2913N) and Sebastien Lizin (Grant no. 12G5415N) are funded by Research Foundation- Flanders (FWD). Finally, we thank all reviewers for their constructive and insightful comments, and for their time. ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.072
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:134332 Serial 6272
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Author Bjornavold, A.; Van Passel, S.
Title The lock-in effect and the greening of automotive cooling systems in the European Union Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication Journal Of Environmental Management Abbreviated Journal J Environ Manage
Volume 203 Issue 3 Pages 1199-1207
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract As of 2017, the sale and use of the refrigerants most commonly used in automotive cooling systems – hydrofluorocarbons – are entirely banned in all new vehicles placed on the market in the European Union. These refrigerants have been recognised as potent greenhouse gases and, therefore, direct contributors to climate change. It is within this regulation-driven market that the technologies for a sustainable solution have been developed. However, this paper argues that the market for automotive cooling systems has been 'locked-in', which means that competing technologies, operating under dynamic increasing returns, will allow for one – potentially inferior technology – to dominate the market. Whilst such a situation is not uncommon, this paper discusses the way that regulation has reinforced a patented monopoly in 'picking winners': to the advantage of a synthetic chemical, R-1234yf, as opposed to the natural solution, which is CO2. By developing a generic conceptual framework of path dependence and lock-in, the presented evidence seeks to show how a snowballing effect has led to the intensification of differences in market share. We also argue that the automotive industry is potentially promoting short-term fixes, rather than long-term, sustainable and economically viable solutions. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000413886300035 Publication Date 2017-06-24
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0301-4797 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.01 Times cited 5 Open Access
Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.01
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:147374 Serial 6268
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Author Kuppens, T.; Van Dael, M.; Vanreppelen, K.; Thewys, T.; Yperman, J.; Carleer, R.; Schreurs, S.; Van Passel, S.
Title Techno-economic assessment of fast pyrolysis for the valorization of short rotation coppice cultivated for phytoextraction Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Journal Of Cleaner Production Abbreviated Journal J Clean Prod
Volume 88 Issue Pages 336-344
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract The main barrier in the commercialization of phytoextraction as a sustainable alternative for remediating metal contaminated soils is its long time period, which can be countered by biomass valorization. From an environmental point of view, fast pyrolysis of the biomass is promising because its lower process temperature prevents metal volatilization. The remaining question is whether fast pyrolysis is also preferred from an economic point of view. Therefore, a techno-economic assessment of fast pyrolysis has been performed for a case study in the Campine region in Belgium. For this region, willow trees cultivated in short rotation have the right characteristics to serve as a phytoextracting crop. A techno-economic assessment requires by definition a multidisciplinary approach. The problem statement urges for a focus on the economic profitability from the viewpoint of an investor, including economic risk analysis. Fast pyrolysis seems more profitable than gasification. The profit is dependent on the scale of operation, the policy support (subsidies) and the oil yield. The economic risk can be reduced by increasing the scale of operation by means of complementing feedstocks, and by valorization of the char byproduct by subsequent processing to activated carbon. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000347771100036 Publication Date 2014-07-19
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0959-6526 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 5.715 Times cited 36 Open Access
Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 5.715; 2015 IF: 3.844
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127539 Serial 6264
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Author Admasu, W.F.; Van Passel, S.; Minale, A.S.; Tsegaye, E.A.; Azadi, H.; Nyssen, J.
Title Take out the farmer: An economic assessment of land expropriation for urban expansion in Bahir Dar, Northwest Ethiopia Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication Land Use Policy Abbreviated Journal Land Use Policy
Volume 87 Issue 87 Pages 104038
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract In Ethiopia, the demand for land for urbanisation is primarily met by converting rural land through expropriation. However, land expropriations are adversely affecting the previous land users by reducing the amount of production and their sources of income. In Bahir Dar, one of the fastest-growing cities in Ethiopia, approximately 300 landholdings are expropriated each year, on average, for urban expansion. This paper assesses the land expropriations to examine whether they offer economically appropriate compensation for the previous land users. Land expropriations for urbanisation between 2007/2008 and 2016/2017 were analysed based on data on land expropriation and its compensation payment obtained from the Bahir Dar City Land Administration and Management Office. Data were analysed using an exponential growth model and a stochastic budgeting technique in which Monte Carlo simulations are performed. Between 2007/2008 and 2016/2017, more than 1500 ha of land were included in the city's boundary through expropriation from 2900 landholders. The affected farmers received compensation that represents only 37 per cent of the value of current crop yields and its growth. The current compensation scheme ignores the impact of inflation on the prices of crops and assumes constant yields. It also excludes the value of crop residuals. We propose a workable discounted compensation framework that considers crop price and yield growths. This will make the compensation scheme more appropriate and make the affected farmers better off.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000483419100026 Publication Date 2019-06-15
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0264-8377 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
Impact Factor 3.089 Times cited 1 Open Access
Notes ; The authors acknowledge the Bahir Dar City Administration for sharing its compensation data, Bahir Dar Zuria Wereda Agriculture Office for sharing yield data, and the Industry and Trade Development Office for sharing crop price data. The Institutional University Cooperation with Bahir Dar University (BDU-IUC), funded by the Belgian authorities, through the Flemish Interuniversity Council University Development Cooperation, funded the research activities. We also thank the two anonymous reviewers and the editor of Land Use Policy for all constructive comments and suggestions. ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.089
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:162837 Serial 6261
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Author Creemers, S.; Van Passel, S.; Vigani, M.; Vlahos, G.
Title Relationship between farmers' perception of sustainability and future farming strategies : a commodity-level comparison Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication AIMS Agriculture and Food Abbreviated Journal
Volume 4 Issue 3 Pages 613-642
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract The environmental challenges have become increasingly integrated into the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The Europe 2020 CAP Framework defines new rules for farmers and targets on innovation, resource efficiency, economic viability, and environmental sustainability. Given the continual evolution of the CAP, it is relevant to focus on sustainable agriculture and which indicators can be employed to aid our understanding of the future farming strategies. This study examines the relationship between perceived sustainability and future farming strategies for three different commodities: sugar beet, dairy, and feta cheese. Survey data collected between 2017-2018 from 191 Belgian sugar beet farmers, 524 dairy farmers (from UK, Denmark, France, and Latvia), and 150 Greek sheep and goat farmers producing milk for feta cheese were analysed using multinomial logistic regressions. Our results show that the farmers' attitude towards sustainability affects intentions to implement specific farming strategies. Belgian sugar beet farmers who perceive their supply chain arrangements (SCAs) environmentally sustainable are less likely to reduce the scale of their farms' operations rather than to maintain them. Dairy farmers are more likely to change the existing scale than to maintain scale if they perceive that production choices affect environmental sustainability to a higher extent. Dairy farmers who perceive their SCAs economically sustainable are less likely to abandon farming. Greek sheep and goat farmers who perceive their SCAs economically sustainable are more likely to expand the existing scale. The observed differences at commodity-level show the importance of well targeted policy measures towards more sustainable farming systems in the European Union.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000488251600009 Publication Date 2019-08-08
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2471-2086 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
Impact Factor Times cited 1 Open Access
Notes ; This research was performed within the frame of the EU's HORIZON 2020 project SUFISA with the grant agreement number 635577. The authors want to thank colleagues from the SUFISA project for stimulating and inspiring discussions on this topic. In particular we would like to thank all the participants of the 2019 SUFISA final conference at the Jagiellonian University of Krakow for fruitful discussions. ; Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:163832 Serial 6242
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Author Meul, M.; Van Middelaar, C.E.; de Boer, I.J.M.; Van Passel, S.; Fremaut, D.; Haesaert, G.
Title Potential of life cycle assessment to support environmental decision making at commercial dairy farms Type A1 Journal article
Year 2014 Publication Agricultural Systems Abbreviated Journal Agr Syst
Volume 131 Issue Pages 105-115
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract In this paper, we evaluate the potential of life cycle assessment (LCA) to support environmental decision making at commercial dairy farms. To achieve this, we follow a four-step method that allows converting environmental assessment results using LCA into case-specific advice for farmers. This is illustrated in a case-study involving 20 specialized Flemish dairy farms. Calculated LCA indicators are normalized into scores between 0 and 100, whereby a score of 100 is assumed optimal, to allow for a mutual comparison of indicators for different environmental impact categories. Next, major farm and management characteristics affecting environmental performance are identified using multiple regression and correlation analyses. Finally, comparing specific farm and management characteristics with those of best performing farms identifies farm-specific optimization strategies. We conclude that this approach complies with most of the identified critical success factors for the successful implementation of LCA as a decision support system for farmers. Key aspects herein are (i) the flexibility and accessibility of the model, (ii) the use of readily available farm data, (iii) farm advisors being intended model users, (iv) the identification of key farm and management characteristics affecting environmental performance and (v) the organization of discussion sessions involving farmers and farm advisors. However, attention should be paid (i) to provide sufficient training and guidance for farm advisors on the use of the applied LCA model and the interpretation of results, (ii) to evaluate the correctness of the used data and (iii) to keep the model up-to-date according to new scientific insights and knowledge concerning LCA methodology. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000343955300011 Publication Date 2014-09-15
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0308-521x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.571 Times cited 25 Open Access
Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.571; 2014 IF: 2.906
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127540 Serial 6238
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Author Hoogmartens, R.; Eyckmans, J.; Van Passel, S.
Title Landfill taxes and enhanced waste management : combining valuable practices with respect to future waste streams Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Waste Management Abbreviated Journal Waste Manage
Volume 55 Issue Pages 345-354
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract Both landfill taxes and Enhanced Waste Management (EWM) practices can mitigate the scarcity issue of landfill capacity by respectively reducing landfilled waste volumes and valorising future waste streams. However, high landfill taxes might erode incentives for EWM, even though EWM creates value by valorising waste. Concentrating on Flanders (Belgium), the paper applies dynamic optimisation modelling techniques to analyse how landfill taxation and EWM can reinforce each other and how taxation schemes can be adjusted in order to foster sustainable and welfare maximising ways of processing future waste streams. Based on the Flemish simulation results, insights are offered that are generally applicable in international waste and resource management policy. As shown, the optimal Flemish landfill tax that optimises welfare in the no EWM scenario is higher than the one in the EWM scenario (93 against (sic)50/ton). This difference should create incentives for applying EWM and is driven by the positive external effects that are generated by EWM practices. In Flanders, as the current landfill tax is slightly lower than these optimal levels, the choice that can be made is to further increase taxation levels or show complete commitment to EWM. A first generally applicable insight that was found points to the fact that it is not necessarily the case that the higher the landfill tax, the more effective waste management improvements can be realised. Other insights are about providing sufficient incentives for applying EMW practices and formulating appropriate pleas in support of technological development. By these insights, this paper should provide relevant information that can assist in triggering the transition towards a resource efficient, circular economy in Europe. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000381535200036 Publication Date 2016-04-05
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0956-053x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.03 Times cited 5 Open Access
Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.03
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:137150 Serial 6222
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Author Hernandez Parrodi, J.C.; Lucas, H.; Gigantino, M.; Sauve, G.; Esguerra, J.L.; Einhäupl, P.; Vollprecht, D.; Pomberger, R.; Friedrich, B.; Van Acker, K.; Krook, J.; Svensson, N.; Van Passel, S.
Title Integration of resource recovery into current waste management through (enhanced) landfill mining Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication Detritus Abbreviated Journal
Volume Volume 08 - December 2019 Issue Volume 08 - December 2019 Pages 1
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract Europe has somewhere between 150,000 and 500,000 landfill sites, with an estimated 90% of them being “non-sanitary” landfills, predating the EU Landfill Directive of 1999/31/EC. These older landfills tend to be filled with municipal solid waste and often lack any environmental protection technology. “ Doing nothing”, state-of-theart aftercare or remediating them depends largely on technical, societal and economic conditions which vary between countries. Beside “ doing nothing' and landfill aftercare, there are different scenarios in landfill mining, from re-landfilling the waste into ”sanitary landfills" to seizing the opportunity for a combined resource-recovery and remediation strategy. This review article addresses present and future issues and potential opportunities for landfill mining as an embedded strategy in current waste management systems through a multi-disciplinary approach. In particular, three general landfill mining strategies are addressed with varying extents of resource recovery. These are discussed in relation to the main targets of landfill mining: (i) reduction of the landfill volume (technical), (ii) reduction of risks and impacts (environmental) and (iii) increase in resource recovery and overall profitability (economic). Geophysical methods could be used to determine the characteristics of the landfilled waste and subsurface structures without the need of an invasive exploration, which could greatly reduce exploration costs and time, as well as be useful to develop a procedure to either discard or select the most appropriate sites for (E)LFM. Material and energy recovery from land-filled waste can be achieved through mechanical processing coupled with thermochemical valorization technologies and residues upcycling techniques. Gasification could enable the upcycling of residues after thermal treatment into a new range of eco-friendly construction materials based on inorganic polymers and glass-ceramics. The multi-criteria assessment is directly influenced by waste- and technology related factors, which together with site-specific conditions, market and regulatory aspects, influence the environmental, economic and societal impacts of (E)LFM projects.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000504065300012 Publication Date 2019-12-23
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited 1 Open Access
Notes ; This research has been funded by the European Union ' s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 721185 “NEW-MINE” (EU Training Network for Resource Recovery through Enhanced Landfill Mining; www.new-mine.eu). ; Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:165759 Serial 6219
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Author Moretti, M.; De Boni, A.; Roma, R.; Fracchiolla, M.; Van Passel, S.
Title Integrated assessment of agro-ecological systems : the case study of the “Alta Murgia” National park in Italy Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Agricultural Systems Abbreviated Journal Agr Syst
Volume 144 Issue Pages 144-155
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract Several indicators and methods are already applied for sustainability assessment in agriculture. The links between sustainability indicators, agricultural management and policies are not well explained. The aim of this study is to combine biophysical and monetary sustainability assessment tools to support agriculture policy decision-making. Three methodological steps are considered: i) the environmental impacts of farms are assessed using terrestrial acidification, freshwater eutrophication, soil and freshwater ecotoxicity as well as natural land transformation; ii) the most relevant indicators of agriculture damages on ecosystems quality are aggregated into an index; iii) the farms' index scores are integrated with farm assets, land and labor, into the Sustainable Value approach (SVA), as indicator of natural resources used by farms. As a case study, the methodology was applied to arable farms with and without animal husbandry of the “Alta Murgia” National Park. The crop farms, in our sample, have a higher sustainable value using their economic and environmental resources. Mixed farms need to improve their resources use efficiency. Although crop farms have lower land-use efficiency compared to mixed farms, our results suggest supporting, by means of policy options, the specialized crop farms that, on average, perform better in terms of ecosystems quality preservation. Finally, we find that Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to soundly measure the environmental impacts clearly enriches the SVA. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000373553100014 Publication Date 2016-02-27
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0308-521x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.571 Times cited 6 Open Access
Notes ; We would like to thank the editor and the anonymous referees for their helpful suggestions and insightful comments that have significantly improved the paper. The authors want to thank the “Alta Murgia” Park Authority for the support in this study and all farmers that collaborated with the authors providing data. Moreover, the authors want to thank Dr. Sylvestre Njakou Djomo for the useful discussion and suggestion to build the LCA model. ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.571
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:133254 Serial 6218
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Author Jorli, M.; Van Passel, S.; Saghdel, H.S.
Title External costs from fossil electricity generation : a review of the applied impact pathway approach Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Energy & Environment Abbreviated Journal Energ Environ-Uk
Volume 29 Issue 5 Pages 635-648
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract This paper reviews and compares 11 studies that have estimated external costs of fossil electricity generation by benefits transfer. These studies include 13 countries and most of these countries are developing countries. The impact pathway approach is applied to estimate the environmental impact arising from fossil fuel-fired power plant's air emission and the related damages on human health. The estimated damages are used to value the monetary external costs from fossil fuel electricity generation. The estimated external costs in the 13 countries vary from 0.51 to 213.5 USD (2005) per MWh due to differences in fossil fuel quality, location, technology, and efficiency of power plants and additionally differences in assumptions, monetization values, and impact estimations. Accounting for these externalities can indicate the actual costs of fossil energy. The results can be applied by policy makers to take measures to avoid additional costs and to apply newer and cleaner energy sources. The described methods in the selected studies for estimating the external costs with respect to incomplete local data can be applied as a useful example for other developing countries.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000440685300001 Publication Date 2018-03-02
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0958-305x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 0.302 Times cited 3 Open Access
Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 0.302
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:153136 Serial 6201
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Author Maheshi, D.; Van Passel, S.; Van Karel, A.
Title Environmental and economic assessment of 'open waste dump' mining in Sri Lanka Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Resources Conservation And Recycling Abbreviated Journal Resour Conserv Recy
Volume 102 Issue Pages 67-79
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract Open waste dumps in Sri Lanka generate adverse environmental and socio-economic impacts due to inadequate maintenance. In this study, a concept of 'open waste dump mining' is suggested in order to minimise the environmental and socio-economic impacts, together with resource recovery. A model based on life cycle assessment and life cycle costing has been used to assess the environmental and economic feasibility of the suggested open waste dump mining concept. Two scenarios have been defined for a hypothetical case, dependent on the destination of the refuse derived fuel fraction. Scenario 1 comprises direct selling of refuse derived fuel as an alternative fuel to replace coal usage in the cement industry, while Scenario 2 consists of thermal treatment of refuse derived fuel with the objective of producing electricity. The study shows that both scenarios are beneficial from an environmental point of view, but not from an economic view point. However, economic profits can be obtained by adjusting waste transport distances and the price of electricity. The environmental analysis further reveals that the higher global warming potential of open waste dumps can be eliminated to a large extent by applying suggested mining and waste valorisation scenarios. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000362147800008 Publication Date 2015-07-24
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0921-3449 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.313 Times cited 26 Open Access
Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.313; 2015 IF: 2.564
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:128753 Serial 6196
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Author Chelan, M.M.; Alijanpour, A.; Barani, H.; Motamedi, J.; Azadi, H.; Van Passel, S.
Title Economic sustainability assessment in semi-steppe rangelands Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Science Of The Total Environment Abbreviated Journal Sci Total Environ
Volume 637-638 Issue 637-638 Pages 112-119
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract This study was conducted to determine indices and components of economic sustainability assessment in the pastoral units of Sahand summer rangelands. The method was based on descriptive-analytical survey (experts and researchers) with questionnaires. Analysis of variance showed that the mean values of economic components are significantly different from each other and the efficiency component has the highest mean value (0.57). The analysis of rangeland pastoral unitswith the technique for order-preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) indicated that from an economic sustainability standpoint, Garehgol (Ci = 0.519) and Badir Khan (Ci = 0.129), pastoral units ranked first and last, respectively. This study provides a clear understanding of existing resources and opportunities for policy makers that is crucial to approach economic sustainable development. Accordingly, this study can help better define sustainable development goals and monitor the progress of achieving them. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000436605400012 Publication Date 2018-05-09
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0048-9697 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.9 Times cited 7 Open Access
Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.9
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:153617 Serial 6190
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Author Gezahegn, T.W.; Van Passel, S.; Berhanu, T.; D'haese, M.; Maertens, M.
Title Do bottom-up and independent agricultural cooperatives really perform better? Insights from a technical efficiency analysis in Ethiopia Type A1 Journal article
Year 2020 Publication Agrekon Abbreviated Journal Agrekon
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract The cooperative landscape in Ethiopia is very heterogeneous with a mixture of remains of the pre-1991 government-controlled system and new post-1991 bottom-up collective action initiatives. This heterogeneity, coupled with a large growth in the number of cooperatives in the country, offers an interesting perspective to study the determinants of the (in)efficiency of cooperatives. In this paper, we analyse the performance of Ethiopian agricultural cooperatives, focusing on the degree of technical (in)efficiency and its determinants. We use the stochastic frontier approach in which we account for heteroskedasticity and the monotonicity of production functions, presenting a methodological improvement with respect to previous technical efficiency studies. The results show that NGO- and government-initiated cooperatives are less efficient than community-initiated ones, implying that governments and NGOs should not interfere too strongly in cooperative formation. Cooperatives with a high degree of heterogeneity in members' participation are found to be about 98% less efficient, while cooperatives that have paid employees are 33% more efficient. Besides, results show that cooperatives in Ethiopia function more efficiently if they incentivize committee members through monetary compensation.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000487651200001 Publication Date 2019-09-24
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0303-1853 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 1.3 Times cited Open Access
Notes ; The authors acknowledge funding from the VLIR-UOS TEAM Program (VLIR-UOS-ZEIN2015PR406 (13V95615T), Belgium. ; Approved Most recent IF: 1.3; 2020 IF: 0.224
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:163772 Serial 6184
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Author Einhäupl, P.; Van Acker, K.; Svensson, N.; Van Passel, S.
Title Developing stakeholder archetypes for enhanced landfill mining Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication Detritus Abbreviated Journal
Volume Volume 08 - December 2019 Issue Volume 08 - December 2019 Pages 1
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract Understanding the perspectives of different stakeholders on emerging technological concepts is an important step towards their implementation. Enhanced Landfill Mining (ELFM) is one of these emerging concepts. It aims at valorizing past waste streams to higher added values in a sustainable manner. Yet, assessment of ELFM mainly focusses on environmental and private economic issues, and societal impacts are rarely analyzed. This study uses semi-structured interviews to build understanding for different ELFM practitioners and researchers and develops five stakeholder archetypes for ELFM implementation: the Engaged Citizen, the Entrepreneur, the Technology Enthusiast, the Visionary and the Skeptic. The archetypes outline major differences in approaching ELFM implementation. The stakeholder perceptions are put into context with existing literature, and implications for ELFM implementation and future research are discussed. Results show that differences in regulatory changes and technology choices are affected by different stakeholder perspectives and more research is needed to balance inner- and inter-dimensional conflicts of ELFM's sustainability. The developed archetypes can especially be helpful when evaluating social impacts, whose perception often depends on opinion and is difficult to quantify.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000504065300010 Publication Date 2019-12-23
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes ; This project has received funding from the European Union's EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 under Grant Agreement No 721185. Part of the research was presented at the 4th International Symposium on Enhanced Landfill Mining 2018 in Mechelen, Belgium. ; Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:165757 Serial 6179
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Author Vanschoenwinkel, J.; Van Passel, S.
Title Climate response of rainfed versus irrigated farms: the bias of farm heterogeneity in irrigation Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Climatic Change Abbreviated Journal Climatic Change
Volume 147 Issue 1-2 Pages 225-234
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract Researchers who do not take into account farm heterogeneity in implementing specific climate change adaptation options might significantly bias their findings. To prove this point, this paper focusses on irrigation as an adaptation option to climate change and highlights the fact that there is no such thing as “irrigation.” Instead, different farms consider water management options across a spectrum that ranges from purely rainfed farms to purely irrigated farms with in between the extreme practices such as supplemental irrigation, water conservation practices, and different irrigation techniques. Accounting for such differences is necessary, yet difficult due to a lack of farm-specific data on water management and irrigation. This paper uses unique Farm Accountancy Data Network data of Western European farmers on the proportion of farmland that each farm irrigates. Unlike previous work, this allows taking into account some within-irrigation heterogeneity instead of simply categorizing farms as being “irrigated.” We estimate and compare climate response models based on the Ricardian cross-sectional method for a large range of irrigation categories. The results give insights into how the farm irrigation climate response can be significantly different depending on how irrigation is defined. This proves that ignoring within-adaptation differences when comparing non-adaptation with adaptation (in this case, rainfed versus irrigated agriculture) might lead to biased conclusions with regard to effectiveness of adaptation strategies. We therefore argue that it might be more relevant to understand at which point and under which circumstances irrigated agriculture is more or less beneficial than rainfed agriculture.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000425959700017 Publication Date 2018-01-16
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0165-0009 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.496 Times cited 1 Open Access
Notes ; This paper was supported by the Horizon 2020 project SUFISA (Grant Agreement No. 635577). ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.496
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:149895 Serial 6166
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Author Biely, K.; Mathijs, E.; Van Passel, S.
Title Causal loop diagrams to systematically analyze market power in the Belgian sugar value chain Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication AIMS Agriculture and Food Abbreviated Journal
Volume 4 Issue 3 Pages 711-730
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract It has been acknowledged that power is a fundamental aspect that needs to be considered when performing a value chain analysis. The structure of the value chain is indicative of the power distribution along the chain. By employing systems thinking the structure of the value chain can be further investigated and inferences on market power issues can be made. This novel approach connects value chain research with insights from Industrial Organization (IO) literature. Depending on the case, market power may not be measurable by traditional economic tools. Systems thinking offers an alternative tool, allowing the employment of qualitative and quantitative data, overcoming drawbacks of IO methods and providing more depth to value chain analysis. In this paper the valuable contribution of systems thinking to market power analysis is exemplified by the Belgian sugar beet case. The analysis showed that transportability and perishability of sugar beet are key causes of market failure in the Belgian sugar value chain. Systems thinking can support understanding potential future behavior of the market based on the thorough understanding of the current market structure. We illustrate how to integrate factors determining the market structure into causal loop diagrams. This novel approach allows a comprehensive evaluation and thus opens up market power analysis to interdisciplinary research.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000488251600014 Publication Date 2019-08-09
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2471-2086 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes ; This research was performed within the frame of the EU's HORIZON 2020 project SUFISA with the grant agreement number 635577. The authors want to thank colleagues from the SUFISA project for stimulating and inspiring discussions on this topic. ; Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:163833 Serial 6165
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Author Esguerra, J.L.; Krook, J.; Svensson, N.; Van Passel, S.
Title Assessing the economic potential of landfill mining : review and recommendations Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication Detritus Abbreviated Journal
Volume Volume 08 - December 2019 Issue Volume 08 - December 2019 Pages 1
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract As landfill mining (LFM) gains public attention, systematic assessment of its economic potential is deemed necessary. The aim of this review is to critically analyze the usefulness and validity of previous economic assessments of LFM. Following the life cycle costing (LCC) framework, (i) the employed methods based on goal and scope, technical parameters and data inventory, and modelling choices were contrasted with respect to (ii) the synthesized main findings based on net profitability and economic performance drivers. Results showed that the selected studies (n=15) are mostly case study-specific and concluded that LFM has a weak economic potential, hinting at the importance of favorable market and regulation settings. However, several method issues are apparent as costs and revenues are accounted at different levels of aggregation, scope and scale-from process to sub-process level, from private to societal economics, and from laboratory to pilot-scale, respectively. Moreover, despite the inherent large uncertainties, more than half of the studies did not perform any uncertainty or sensitivity analyses posing validity issues. Consequently, this also limits the usefulness of results as individual case studies and as a collective, towards a generic understanding of LFM economics. Irrespective of case study-specific or generic aims, this review recommends that future assessments should be learning-oriented. That is, uncovering granular information about what builds up the net profitability of LFM, to be able to systematically determine promising paths for the development of cost-efficient projects.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000504065300011 Publication Date 2019-12-23
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes ; This study has received funding from the European Training Network for Resource Recovery Through Enhanced Landfill Mining (NEW-MINE, Grant Agreement No 721185) under the European Union's EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020. ; Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:165758 Serial 6153
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Author Maes, D.; Van Passel, S.
Title An agent-based model of farmer behaviour to explain the limited adaptability of Flemish agriculture Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions Abbreviated Journal
Volume 22 Issue Pages 63-77
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract Transition projects have been implemented for Flemish agriculture since 2003, but these did not enable a transformation of the agricultural sector. This paper looks at pre-transition scenarios that have been collectively designed by stakeholders of the agricultural sector in 2002. These foresaw decreases in the regional animal stocks in Flanders. However, the real evolution of the sector did not reveal such a decrease. It is assumed that the individual adaptive behaviour of farmers can explain the unexpected stability of the Flemish agricultural sector. A detailed agent-based model has been built to replicate the past evolution, accounting for structural diversity of farmers, heterogeneity in behaviour, and natural resource constraints. The results indicate that different forms of rigidity in the individual behaviour of farmers slow down the adaptation of the agricultural sector. Future transition scenarios should account for these elements in order not to overestimate the speed of change in the sector. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000400269900006 Publication Date 2016-07-17
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2210-4224 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited 1 Open Access
Notes ; This project was financed by the Impuls-project of the Transnational University Limburg (TUL, Belgium and theNetherlands). A prior version of the results was presented in September 2014 at the 10th annual meeting of the European Social Simulation Association (ESSA) in Barcelona; the remarks from participants improved this manuscript. Thecomputational resources and services in support of this study were provided by the Hercules Foundation and the Flemish Government-department EWI. Prof. Steven Van Passel thanks DG Agriculture (European Commission) for access to theFarm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). All remaining errors are the sole responsibility of the authors. ; Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:143721 Serial 6150
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Author Hoogmartens, R.; Eyckmans, J.; Van Passel, S.
Title A Hotelling model for the circular economy including recycling, substitution and waste accumulation Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Resources Conservation And Recycling Abbreviated Journal Resour Conserv Recy
Volume 128 Issue 128 Pages 98-109
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract Non-renewable resources include a large variety of deposits that have been formed by geological processes over millions of years. Although extraction of such resources provides benefits as employment and economic revenues, it also contributes to negative environmental externalities and it increases resource scarcity. An important policy question is how to optimally extract non-renewable resource stocks over time while taking possible substitutes and recycling into account. The present paper adds to the literature by developing a generic numerical optimisation model that can be used to simulate non-renewable resource management regimes and the effects of different policy instruments deployed at different stages of the resource's life cycle. By including recycling and substitution, the model extends the seminal cake-eating Hotelling model that dominates the non-renewable resource economics literature. In addition to being generically designed, the model can accommodate for non-competitive market settings, interacting policy instruments and environmental externalities at different stages of the material's life cycle. The model's possibilities are illustrated by means of a numerical simulation example for the extraction of sand.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000417658500013 Publication Date 2017-10-12
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0921-3449 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.313 Times cited 5 Open Access
Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.313
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:148496 Serial 6142
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Author Rafiaani, P.; Kuppens, T.; Thomassen, G.; Van Dael, M.; Azadi, H.; Lebailly, P.; Van Passel, S.
Title A critical view on social performance assessment at company level : social life cycle analysis of an algae case Type A1 Journal article
Year 2020 Publication International Journal Of Life Cycle Assessment Abbreviated Journal Int J Life Cycle Ass
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords (down) A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract Purpose Social indicators are not easy to be quantitatively analyzed, although at the local scale, the social impacts might be relevant and important. Using the existing approaches for both quantitative and semi-qualitative measurements, this study aims to assess the social impacts of a company working on algae production systems in Belgium through social life cycle analysis (SLCA). By highlighting the opportunities and challenges on the way of applying the existing SLCA approaches at company level, the objective of this study is to contribute to the development of a suitable and clear SLCA approach when a company is considered as the unit of analysis. Methods Based on the list of potential social impact categories suggested by the United Nations Environment Program/Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (UNEP/SETAC) guidelines (2009) for SLCA, three stakeholder groups (workers, consumers, and local community) and three subcategories associated with each stakeholder group were identified as the most relevant for carbon capture and utilization technologies. Company and sector level data were collected using existing documents and reports, and the data were analyzed and scored using a combined quantitative and semi-quantitative approach to develop a social assessment model for the case study. Results and discussion The company appears to perform well for all the evaluated social indicators except the one related to the subcategory “equal opportunity/discrimination for workers” for which the share of women employed is lower compared with the sector-level data. The results of our assessment were further discussed regarding the challenges and limitations of performing SLCA at the company level. Based on our experience, the validity of the outcomes is significantly influenced by the data availability, the generality of the indicators introduced within the UNEP/SETAC guidelines, and the subjectivity in data collection for the semi-quantitative assessment among others. Conclusions By highlighting the difficulties and challenges of applying the SLCA at the company level, our study provides a starting point for improving the quantitative assessment and monitoring social implications at the company level within a regional foreground in Europe.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000492643600001 Publication Date 2019-10-26
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0948-3349; 1614-7502 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.8 Times cited 1 Open Access
Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.8; 2020 IF: 3.173
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:164676 Serial 6141
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Author Vanschoenwinkel, J.; Moretti, M.; Van Passel, S.
Title The effect of policy leveraging climate change adaptive capacity in agriculture Type A1 Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication European Review Of Agricultural Economics Abbreviated Journal Eur Rev Agric Econ
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords (down) A1 Journal Article; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract Agricultural adaptation to climate change is indispensable. However, the degree of adaptation depends on adaptive capacity levels and it only takes place if the appropriate resources are present. Cross-sectional climate response models ignore this requirement. This paper adapts the Ricardian method to control for a generic territorial adaptive capacity index. The results for a sample of over 60.000 European farms show a significant non-linear positive relationship between adaptive capacity and climate responsiveness and that some regions in Europe can increase their climate responsiveness significantly. This confirms that improvement of adaptive capacity is an important policy tool to enhance adaptation.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000558982300007 Publication Date 2019-03-14
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0165-1587 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.4 Times cited Open Access
Notes This paper was supported by the Horizon 2020 project SUFISA (Grant Agreement No. 635577). Approved Most recent IF: 3.4; 2020 IF: 1.6
Call Number ENM @ enm @c:irua:167258 Serial 6350
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